Discovery Days are the first real glimpse into a franchise’s core culture, brand, and people. These events can be elaborate productions put on to impress and woo the candidate. This can be awe-inspiring, but what do you, the candidate, really need to know?

You’ve completed a good portion of your research: You believe the industry is appealing. The need for the services provided have been quantified. You also understand the investment prerequisites. Now what?

Throughout our careers, we’ve observed that there are many facets to professional culture. Inserting yourself into the suitable ethos for you is a critical piece to fully achieve your highest potential. The next question, are you going to fit into your preferred franchisor’s culture?

The Discovery Day(s) are a terrific opportunity to dive into the heart and soul of the organization. What is the mission, vision, and values represented by the franchisor? What do their training and development processes look like, and what is their training timeline, if any? Culturally, are the team members positive, enthusiastic and “brand-happy”? These are just as important to making your final decision as how much revenue you have the potential to bring in your first year.

Recent Payroll Vault Discovery Day attendee, Darius T. Burnette stated, “I watched an episode of The Profit withMarcus Lemonis. It made me feel even better about attending Discovery Day and ‘trusting the process’.”

During your Discovery Day, remember to take your time, ask questions, meet the team in its entirety, and ask as many team members as possible about their experience with the brand. If the culture, mission, vision and values are in alignment, then you have your final answer.